Interlude
by FairMaiden333
Summary: With all of them gathered around, watching him sleep, it feels fragile and breakable and wonderful and painful and far too dangerous - but for a moment, it also feels like family.


_This oneshot popped into my head while I was reading the manga and came across the scene where Greed and Pride notice that Father has fallen asleep - it's set back in the day, before Greed first left and when Wrath hadn't been birthed yet. Sloth does not appear because he's probably off digging somewhere. _

_This seemed like an excellent opportunity for some homunculus-family fluff - or as close as you can get with 'Father' involved. Their situation, as I see it, is a peculiarly tragic one because, apart from Greed (who becomes disillusioned, eventually gets dragged back and re-brainwashed and then defects again) they all desperately love their creator and 'Father', are convinced that he really does - or could - care about them, and would do just about anything to try and win his approval and affection. Of course, add to that the fact that 'Father' is indifferent to/dislikes them and constantly manipulates them in order to complete his Evil Plan, tossing them to the side when he doesn't need them any longer - you can see why their Home Sweet Home is a little dysfunctional._

_Anyway, I wanted to explore that pathetic sort of tragedy with this fic by capturing a moment which, for them, would have been one of the happiest times of their lives._

_~ FairMaiden333_

_Disclaimer__ - I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist, or homunculi, which depresses me, but then I console myself with the thought that I do not own 'Father'._

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><p><em><strong>Interlude<strong>_

Plodding through the underground chambers looking for Lust, Gluttony stumbles backwards in surprise when he bumps right into her, standing motionless a few yards away from Father's throne. The lumpy homunculus tugs at her dress, looking up to tell her he's hungry, but his older sister puts a finger to her lips, nods towards the seat and he falls silent as his eyes follow her silent gesture to see a truly unusual sight.

Father has fallen asleep in his throne, his book still spread open on his lap and his hands resting on the pages. His eyes are closed, his breathing is calm and even, and the weary, angry lines of his face are smoothed out so that he looks strangely peaceful.

Gluttony uncertainly sucks on one hand as he peers at the still figure, half-expecting him to sit up straight and give them a ferocious scolding for wasting time just standing and staring at him, but he doesn't move. Another moment of sucking, and Gluttony decides that he likes Father asleep. He looks up at Lust and she gives him one of her special smiles and he knows, without being able to put it into words, that she feels the same way he does.

Motion in the corner of his eye, and Gluttony turns his head to see Envy swinging into the room with a cross expression on his face, followed a moment later by Greed. He knows they must have been fighting again, but as soon as they're close enough Lust hushes them as well, and beckons them closer.

They stare at Father for a long minute, the same way that Lust is, half-nervous and half-wondering, and for a moment Gluttony wonders anxiously whether Envy is going to start crying. He knows that Father hates it when he does that, and he wants this quiet, happy moment to go on for a long time.

Greed shrugs casually when he recovers, and makes a big show of shoving his hands in his pockets and mock-whistling, until Lust gives him a silent, reproving swipe. The 'Ultimate Shield' deflects the blow easily, but when his eyes return to Father they have a queer, affectionate, desperately hungry look to them.

Gluttony can't help but wish that Father fell asleep more often. It's wonderful to have him so nice and quiet and _there, _so that they can all watch him and love him without having to worry about being scolded or punished or brushed off or sent away on some mission because he doesn't have time for them. Father never does anything wrong, so it must be right when they get hurt or pushed away, but just for now - this is nice. He looks around at his older brothers and sisters and knows that they're thinking the same thing.

Hesitantly, half-expecting to be fried by a bolt of energy for his temerity, Gluttony shuffles a few steps closer to the throne, glancing uneasily up at the sleeping patriarch to make sure that he isn't waking up. Another shuffling step, another, and then he's close enough to lean his head against Father's seat, closing his eyes and basking for a moment in the blissful feeling of nearly touching his adored father.

He opens them as he hears the dull clicking of Lust's shoes approaching, and he turns his head to see his older sister slowly kneel down by the other arm, staring up at Father with a contented smile on her beautiful face. She puts out her hand so that it just touches the edge of his robe, and leaves it there.

Envy's voice breaks the silence for the first time, whispering almost inaudibly. "I never saw him fall asleep before." Scrubbing his eyes furiously with one hand, the older homunculus steps forward as well, Lust shooting him a warning glance as he cautiously perches himself on top of the throne arm she is kneeling at. Envy just about never smiles, but as he huddles his arms around his knees and watches their sleeping father with an almost fierce intensity, his lips curve into something happy and quiet and warm.

"Father's sleeping?" Gluttony jumps a little when he hears Pride's echoing voice, and they all look uneasily at Father before Greed nods to their oldest brother and fiercely gestures for him to quiet down.

"Don't wake the old man up," he whispers almost desperately. "Just - don't." Dropping all pretense of indifference, he creeps a little nearer, sitting himself down behind Lust, and ignores the incredulous look Envy manages to send him.

Pride quietly pads forward as well, seating himself beside Gluttony, his dark eyes inscrutable as he joins his siblings in unabashedly staring at their sleeping father. After a moment, a tiny, sweet smile forms itself on his usually expressionless little-boy face. "He looks - restful," he murmurs.

They all hold their breaths as Father shifts a little, moving his hands restlessly over the pages, and then they relax with soft, relieved sighs as he quiets again.

"I wish…" Envy mumbles after another long minute, and though he trails off, Gluttony finds himself nodding in agreement with the others.

It's the best time - when Father's sleeping.


End file.
